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Defenses key in dominant starts for Dallas, Indy
When you think of the Colts, you think of Peyton Manning dropping back, snap after snap, and firing to Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne waiting in the end zone. And when you think of the Cowboys, you think of Tony Romo ducking in and out of trouble before turning a broken play into an improbable touchdown pass to Terrell Owens or Jason Witten.
We knew the Cowboys and Colts would be racking up yards and scoring points at a furious pace, and they are. Dallas is averaging a league-leading 37.8 per game and Indy is third-best at 32.8. However, the huge surprise is the way their defenses are shutting down opponents as both head into Week 5 undefeated. And the better those defenses continue to play, the more Manning and Romo will be on the field. Now that's a scary thought.
The Cowboys haven't ranked in the top five in the NFL in both offense and defense since 1995. Coincidentally, they also haven't gotten off to a 4-0 start or won more than 10 games in a season since '95 as well.
The Cowboys aren't quite in the top five in D this year, but they are up to 11th in the league in scoring defense a year after ranking 20th. That figure will keep improving as this defense plays together more and gets more comfortable under Wade Phillips. They allowed four TDs on the Giants' first 11 drives on opening day but have given up just three TDs on 38 possessions since.
They've done so while undergoing some personnel changes and dealing with injuries, notably to nose tackle Jason Ferguson, cornerback Anthony Henry and defensive end Greg Ellis. But the Cowboys are making big plays, getting consistent pass pressure from DeMarcus Ware and Ellis, now healthy again, and they lead the NFL in interceptions.
As for the Colts, even on their way to the Super Bowl last year, they were only 21st in the NFL in total defense and 23rd in scoring defense. They got better in the postseason after Bob Sanders returned from his knee injury. But during the regular season they gave up 44 in Jacksonville, 31 in Denver, 28 to the Jets and 27 in Houston. When they won, they often found themselves in shootouts. When they lost, it was because the offense got little help from the defense.
This offseason, the Colts got younger and faster on defense, moving four first-, second- or third-year players into the lineup -- 2005 draft picks Kelvin Hayden and Marlin Jackson at cornerback, 2006 draft pick Freddie Keiaho at weak linebacker and undrafted Penn State alum Ed Johnson at defensive tackle.
Those moves are paying off. The Colts have given up only six TD drives this year, one of them just 15 yards. They'll certainly miss linebacker Rob Morris, out for the year with a torn ACL. But they're good enough to remain one of the league's best units. And as they seek a second straight Super Bowl title, the Colts, for a change, have more than one way to win games.
Both teams have a showdown looming in the next few weeks against the Patriots, another offensive powerhouse with a vastly underrated defense. Thankfully, the way this season is shaping up, those games will be showcases for three great teams, not just three great offenses.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/reuben_frank/10/03/week4/
When you think of the Colts, you think of Peyton Manning dropping back, snap after snap, and firing to Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne waiting in the end zone. And when you think of the Cowboys, you think of Tony Romo ducking in and out of trouble before turning a broken play into an improbable touchdown pass to Terrell Owens or Jason Witten.
We knew the Cowboys and Colts would be racking up yards and scoring points at a furious pace, and they are. Dallas is averaging a league-leading 37.8 per game and Indy is third-best at 32.8. However, the huge surprise is the way their defenses are shutting down opponents as both head into Week 5 undefeated. And the better those defenses continue to play, the more Manning and Romo will be on the field. Now that's a scary thought.
The Cowboys haven't ranked in the top five in the NFL in both offense and defense since 1995. Coincidentally, they also haven't gotten off to a 4-0 start or won more than 10 games in a season since '95 as well.
The Cowboys aren't quite in the top five in D this year, but they are up to 11th in the league in scoring defense a year after ranking 20th. That figure will keep improving as this defense plays together more and gets more comfortable under Wade Phillips. They allowed four TDs on the Giants' first 11 drives on opening day but have given up just three TDs on 38 possessions since.
They've done so while undergoing some personnel changes and dealing with injuries, notably to nose tackle Jason Ferguson, cornerback Anthony Henry and defensive end Greg Ellis. But the Cowboys are making big plays, getting consistent pass pressure from DeMarcus Ware and Ellis, now healthy again, and they lead the NFL in interceptions.
As for the Colts, even on their way to the Super Bowl last year, they were only 21st in the NFL in total defense and 23rd in scoring defense. They got better in the postseason after Bob Sanders returned from his knee injury. But during the regular season they gave up 44 in Jacksonville, 31 in Denver, 28 to the Jets and 27 in Houston. When they won, they often found themselves in shootouts. When they lost, it was because the offense got little help from the defense.
This offseason, the Colts got younger and faster on defense, moving four first-, second- or third-year players into the lineup -- 2005 draft picks Kelvin Hayden and Marlin Jackson at cornerback, 2006 draft pick Freddie Keiaho at weak linebacker and undrafted Penn State alum Ed Johnson at defensive tackle.
Those moves are paying off. The Colts have given up only six TD drives this year, one of them just 15 yards. They'll certainly miss linebacker Rob Morris, out for the year with a torn ACL. But they're good enough to remain one of the league's best units. And as they seek a second straight Super Bowl title, the Colts, for a change, have more than one way to win games.
Both teams have a showdown looming in the next few weeks against the Patriots, another offensive powerhouse with a vastly underrated defense. Thankfully, the way this season is shaping up, those games will be showcases for three great teams, not just three great offenses.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/reuben_frank/10/03/week4/